Spine
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Multicenter Study
Expression of ezrin, MMP-9, and COX-2 in 50 chordoma specimens: a clinical and immunohistochemical analysis.
Retrospective study. ⋯ En bloc resection with tumor-free margins is seldom feasible, particularly in the sacrum. Intralesional excisions mostly end in early local recurrence; therefore, the demand for further treatment options is frequently posed. The marked trend of the investigated biomarkers of this study may build a starting point for further investigations as molecular targets for future adjuvant therapies in chordomas. Future multicenter studies on larger patients' series are necessary to elucidate these preliminary data and to test new treatment options for patients with chordomas.
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Comparative Study
Diffusion tensor imaging in pediatric spinal cord injury: preliminary examination of reliability and clinical correlation.
The design was a nonexperimental, repeated measures design. ⋯ DTI values had good-to-strong reliability on repeated scans and moderate-to-good concurrent validity with clinical scores. When compared with conventional MRI, DTI values had statistically stronger correlations with the majority of values from the clinical examination.
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Retrospective, single-institution review of adult deformity patients who underwent iliac screw (IS) removal placed during fusion to the sacrum. ⋯ Of 395 consecutive walking patients who had ISs placed during fusion to the sacrum for adult spinal deformity, 24 (6.1%) underwent elective removal. Patients had a statistically significant improvement in hip/buttock pain after IS removal, and a low prevalence of complications after the procedure was observed.
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A retrospective observational study. ⋯ The spinal changes with paravertebral ligament ossification in VDRR were described in this study. Four different gene mutations related to the PHEX gene were detected in them. The presence of these changes was suggestive of a more severe systemic disease.
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Cross-sectional study of 45- to 64-year-old Australians. ⋯ This highlights the need to prevent and effectively treat chronic back problems, as these conditions are associated with reduced living standards.